Packard: Packed

**Traxus** · March-08-12, 01:05 PM

Forgive the cynicism if you can, it's lighthearted and in my nature to begin with. If ever there was a case to wall the place off and charge for entry, this would be it.

I stopped through Packard on Sunday, I couldn't help but notice something was diffrent...

Oh, this must be it, another collapse on the South West roof. I finally have an interesting foreground for this shot! Much like Michigan roads, the ice seeps into cracks in the concrete and through thawing and refreezing, unsettles the roof and supports, making spring a more dangerous time to explore.

No... wait... something else is different. Hmmm.Wait, who the hell is that? Get out of my shot! This light is fleeting!

Oh wait... Another one?! It's usually just me and the scrappers in here...

Wait, there's a scrapper! Look in the background... Hold on, are they... Scrapping the wood floor?!? [[they had thrown the planks from the floor above and were loading them into their car)

...wait who are they?!

Where are all of these ants marching to?

Uh, huh. Oh! This must be that International Ruins Pornographer Week I've been hearing about! $5 a car to park!

The plant is fully handicap accessible! [[not really)

Fun for the whole family! [[I couldn't tell whether they were taking the pvc as scrap, or protection... didn't make sense either way).

The Packard provides many romantic vistas for you and your loved one!

Photographers: remember to shoot the most generic angles, in poor lighting, as to most efficiently highlight Detroit's downfall.

To be fair, this guy was shooting [[or trying to shoot) this room...

I always try to wear bright colors whilst sneaking around abandon buildings.

Go ahead, take a ceiling light!

Or a...tire[[?)

On the other hand, all these people make great reference points for conveying the scale of this place:

And then, suddenly, a moment of silence. Where did they all go? I've been waiting for years to re-shoot this angle, the scrap crew usually has their trucks in the alley. Too bad the light was so drab...

**neavling** · March-08-12, 01:16 PM

So only you are entitled to enter the Packard with so-so photos?

**Ray1936** · March-08-12, 01:27 PM

Ignore neavling above, Traxus. I thought it was a great photo essay. Thanks for taking the time to post those pictures!

**Traxus** · March-08-12, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by neavling

So only you are entitled to enter the Packard with so-so photos?

I couldn't help but take a Vice magazine/journalistic approach on this day, perhaps I can sell these to Life.com, their quality control wouldn't know the difference.

**Wheels** · March-08-12, 02:19 PM

Can't wait until they put the fence up, so we get get some good shots of it being scrapped.

**Traxus** · March-08-12, 02:38 PM

The question now is, will the regulars be scrapping it, or will the suburbs beat them to it in their silver sedans?

**Maof** · March-08-12, 04:15 PM

actually, i kinda like that industrial light fixture. i would've grabbed more than one.

**Wheels** · March-08-12, 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by Maof

actually, i kinda like that industrial light fixture. i would've grabbed more than one.

I am amazed there was one left!

**Traxus** · March-08-12, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

I am amazed there was one left!

The other guy had one as well, there *we're* two.

somehow, this reminds me of the looting vs finding incident with AP during hurricane katrina:

Occurrence · March-08-12, 05:48 PM

We were there the same time Sunday. I can see my car in that parking lot photo.

I went there for a quite walk through the place by myself "one last time" in case it does come down, and was met by dozens upon dozens of groups of people. It was quite disturbing, but I did run into a couple friends, so it wasn't all bad.

**eonaway** · March-08-12, 06:36 PM

I don’t know what it says about us that we show indifference to things until we’re about to lose them. It’s laughable and pathetic. 10 years this place has been abandoned and now people are fighting over the garbage. The only thing worth saving in most of these buildings is the graffiti. Bomb these places, plant a tree and let’s move forward.

**Traxus** · March-08-12, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by eonaway

I don’t know what it says about us that we show indifference to things until we’re about to lose them. It’s laughable and pathetic. 50 years this place has been abandoned and now people are fighting over the garbage. The only thing worth saving in most of these buildings is the graffiti. Bomb these places, plant a tree and let’s move forward.

I wouldn't say anyone was fighting over what they were taking, but I'll agree that the paintings are far more valuable in the long run.

**downtown_racine** · March-08-12, 08:47 PM

ONLY in Detroit. A very unique city.

**Maof** · March-08-12, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

I am amazed there was one left!

very true wheels.

**Richard** · March-08-12, 09:48 PM

Originally Posted by downtown_racine

ONLY in Detroit. A very unique city.

I agree. Old Remington arms factory about the same size vacant thirty years ,still filled with equipment and only has a few broken windows . I guess some respect and others do not.different cities.

**Wheels** · March-08-12, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by Richard

I agree. Old Remington arms factory about the same size vacant thirty years ,still filled with equipment and only has a few broken windows . I guess some respect and others do not.different cities.

Other cities have hidden gems and barn finds. Detroit has nothing to hide attitude.

**Richard** · March-08-12, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

Other cities have hidden gems and barn finds. Detroit has nothing to hide
attitude.

Thank you ,I needed a good laugh today.

**EZZ** · March-08-12, 10:27 PM

Beautiful pictures -Thank You...

Occurrence · March-09-12, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by eonaway

50 years this place has been abandoned and now people are fighting over the garbage.

Why do people keep saying this? Packard went out of business in the mid 50's but the complex was used as an industrial park and the last tenants were evicted by the city in the late 90's. It has not been abandoned for 50 years.

**eonaway** · March-09-12, 02:05 PM

my mistake. I guess people keep saying that because it looks like its been abandoned for 200 years.

**Traxus** · March-09-12, 04:35 PM

Decay is exponential, I couldn't believe what scrappers and vandals had done to Cass Tech in 5 short years.

**j to the jeremy** · March-09-12, 04:41 PM

Wow....I remember when I went in there and was the only one on a cold winters' day.

Now that's years ago and the city seems so different. If only we had figured out a way to charge admission for the place after it was featured on the cover of TIME...

**BEEAH** · March-09-12, 06:27 PM

Haha, that was great, its funny to see how popular ruin porn is. Granted the SECOND I buy my first SLR and need to learn how to use it I'll be shooting a few thousand crappy shots of my own ruin porn and be sheeple.

**dawn26** · March-10-12, 08:40 AM

love the pics...and especially the comments

i spend a lot of time in detroit shooting ruin porn. i guess that makes me a sheeple, although i do it because i appreciate the details in the buildings. haven't been to the packard yet. seeing so many other "pornographers" running around would be unnerving...i prefer to do my porn in private